Wall type can opener



I 1959 M. J. LA FORT-E WALL TYPE CAN OPENER Original Filed Sept. 16,1954 Am/ @567? yd; awm #5 United tates Patent WALL TYPE CAN OPENERMichael J. La Forte, Park'Ridge, Ill., assignor'to yanghan Mfg. Co.,Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Original application September16, 1954, Serial No. 456,507, now Patent'No. 2,802,258, dated Angustls,1957. Divided and this application May 22, .1957, Serial No. 660,805

2 Claims. 01'. 30--6.4)

poration of the structure there set forth in a wall type can opener withimprovements and additions as will be described. One object of myinvention may, therefore, be considered to be a wall type can. openerembodying the advantages of the portable type opener disclosed in theabove referred to patent.

In the course of incorporating this opener intoa wall mount, 1 haveprovided certain improvements in accessory features. The first of theseis an improved flexible magnetic can top holder to retain the can topafter it has been severed from the can, first for the purposeofpreventing the top from falling into the contents of the can and second,for the purpose of holding the can top when the can is removed from theopener in order to provide a clean method of removing the can top fromthe can after severance as compared to the usual somewhat messy methodof pushing one edge of the can top down as it rests on the contents inorder to elevate the other edge. Although magnetic can top retainers areold, my retainer enjoys the advantage of being exceedingly flexible andadaptable to the tops of cans whose sides may be variably angled andwhose tops may be variably recessed below the bead. In short, myretainer is flexibly mounted in a fashion that permits, first, a naturalengagementof the retainer with the can top as the user of the openerinserts. the can into the opener. engagement, the retainer follows thecan top to the position. imposed .on'it by the opener during severanceand still remains in engagement therewith.

Another improvement which I have effected is a method of storing the canopener on its wall mounting bracket in a way which is'simple and sightlyand steady.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a can openerembodying my inventionshown in operative position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing, however, the openersuspended in non-operating or storage position;

Fig. 3 is a section which may be regarded as being taken along the line33 of Fig. 1 looking in .the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the mounting bracket;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the base of the mounting arm of the opener;

Fig. 6 is asection'which may be regarded as being Second, after2,912,752 Patented Nov. 17, 1959 2 taken along the line 66 of Fig.2looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the magnet housing of my invention brokenaway in part.

The illustrated can opener is a wallltype opener, and, as such, includesan arm 10, one end of which is adapted for attachment to a wall or thelike and the other end of which carries the can opener operatingmechanism.

As shown in Fig. 4, a bracket 12, secured to a wall by screws 14, hasthe longitudinal edges 16 thereof inclining upwardly andrearwardlytoward each other. The base 18 of the arm, as shown in Fig. 5, has 'avertical slot or keyway 20 in the end thereof complemental to the frontsurface and edges 16 of the bracket 12 so that when the keyway 20.0f thearm is inserted over the bracket 12 and dropped thereon, the matchingsurfaces of the arm and bracket suffice to hold the'arm with a wedgingfit rigidly and firmly to the wall.

A distinctive feature of my invention lies in the provision of an upperextension 24 of the base of the arm in which is formed a second keyway26 again comple- .mental to the operative surfaces of the bracket 12.The

width of the supplemental keyway is intermediate the width of the narrowupper end of the bracketand the wider lower end of the bracket. Thus,when it is desired that the opener be stored on the wall betweenoccasions of use, it may be conveniently hung from the bracket by virtueof the secondkeyway 26 so'that the arm hangs vertically in the fashionillustrated in Fig. 2, and does not project out into the working area.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, the arm of my invention may be dividedinto two parts: a lower die cast main portion 28 and an upper plasticcap 30 for convenience of'assembly, for purposes of a more colorful,attractive article and for a greater finish permanence. on the uppersurfaces where marring is most likely to occur. The die cast portionincludes the base 18. 1

The other end, the outer end, of the die cast-arm part is formed 'tohave a pocket 32 therein which. opens to the left side and bottom of thearm, viewing the opener from the front. An integral'rib 34 extendsoutward from the arm and downward beside the inside edge of the pocket32 and terminates at the bottom thereof. fHoles 36 to accommodate rivetsare formed in the bottom surface of the arm on either side of the bottompocket opening 32.

A pair of vertical grooves 38 are also provided inside the pocket 32 andadjacent its side opening which continue a short distance on the bottomfaces of the arm for purposes to be described later.

l incorporate into the arm of my opener an opening mechanism whichresembles the opening mechanism disclosed in my above-mentioned PatentNo. 2,573,031. This mechanism consists first of a generally rectangularbody 40 with three extensions or appendages on the upper edge and one onthe lower which are bent relative to the body to accomplish variouspurposes. This member is preferably a heavy sheet metal stamping. Thelowerextension is bent outwardly to a right angle on a horizontal lineto constitute a guide lug 42. The two outer of the upper edge extensionsare also bent outwardly to a right angle on a horizontal line todefine'guide. members .44 and 46. These guide members are punched forthe reception of rivets 48 by which theopening mechanism is attached tothe arm 10- The central upper edge extension constitutes a mounting lug50 which likewise is loutbent but only slightly to be at a large obtuseangle to the plane of the body. The bend of. the mounting lug is alongan upwardly inclined line so-that:the\l'ug not only has the inward slopebut a forwardslope as well for purposes to be brought out later. Themounting lug has a bore 52 therethrough.

I contemplate that a disk type cutter 54 be used in conjunction with myinvention. This cutter has an axle 56 therefor and the end of the axleis contained in the bore 52 of the mounting lug 50 so as to be bothrotatable and axially slidable therein.

I provide further a U-shaped spring 58 having inturned clips 60 at oneend thereof. The clips are sufliciently spaced so that that end of thespring may be forcibly driven over the mounting lug 50 with the clips infirm engagement with the sides thereof. The other, free, end 62 of thespring bears against the center of the disk cutter and serves to holdthe axle 56 of the cutter in the bore 52.

The body member has a quadrant-shaped slot 64 formed therein and a smallpoint of metal 66 pressed out of the metal to form a cam abutment on theinside surface thereof.

A driving wheel 68 is provided which has a hub 70 of smaller diameterthan the wheel itself. The hub 70 is contained in the quadrant-shapedslot 64 to fit said slot relatively closely but to be freely rotatableand slidable therein. A rivet 72 serves to interconnect fixedly thedriving wheel and a crank handle 74. interposed between the handle andhub of the driving wheel is a kidney-shaped cam 76. For purposes ofornamentation, a plastic cap 78 may be provided to overlie the connectedend of the handle and the rivet may terminate in an ornamental head 80.The rivet 72 may be flatsided and the holes receiving the rivet in thedriving wheel, the handle and the cam substantially rectangular so thatthe three members rotate together as a unit. This detail has not beenillustrated, as it is entirely obvious. The slot 64- is such that thedriving wheel may move from a position downwardly and rearwardly of thedisk cutter 54 and substantially spaced therefrom, first generallyupwardly and then forwardly to bring it immediately under the cuttingwheel and overlapped therewith.

The grooves 38 are employed to contain a magnet bracket 82. Thisbracket, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7, may consist of relatively light butstifif wire bent through approximately 540 to define a U with a loop 84at the bottom thereof. The free ends of the wire 82 each are bentthrough approximately a right angle out of the plane defined by theU-shaped bend. These bent ends are contained within the grooves 38. Theextremities of the wire may be further bent away from each other to liein those portions of the grooves 38 which extend across the bottom ofthe arm, these extremities being clamped in these groove portions by theguide member 44 and 46 as riveted to the arm 10.

The two arms of the U enter the magnet housing 86 through a pair ofwindows 90 formed therein. As shown in Fig. 7 the housing 86 is ofhollow construction and is provided with an axially extending orvertical rod 92 fixed between the top and a closure member 86' of thehousing. The loop 84- encircles loosely the vertical rod 92 within thehousing. A small washer 88 encircles the rod 92 and a light spring 94interposed between the washer and the top of the housing urges thehousing upward. A permanent magnet is embedded in the bottom closuremember 86' of the housing with the poles thereof exposed in the bottomsurface of the closure member 86'.

The operation of my invention will be understood from the foregoingdescription. With the driving wheel 68 in the lower rearward end of theslot 64, as shown in Fig. 1, and the cam oriented so that the notchtherein lies against the stud 66, a can is inserted with the beadthereof overlying the top edge of the driving wheel 68. The guide lug 42hearing against the side of the can will cause the can to assume aslight angle with respect to the opener body 40. Upon rotation of thehandle in the clockwise direction (or counterclockwise as viewed inFig. 1) the cam serves to raise the driving wheel through the verticalportion of the slot 64 and force the can bead inside the disk cutter andup against the guide members 4-4 and 46, as shown in Fig. 3, to effectinitial penetration of the can top. At the same time, the top of the canis brought sutficiently close to the lower surface of the magnet housingso that the magnet will be attracted thereto and hold the can top. Theamount of downward vertical movement permitted by the spring 94 insuresthat even though the can top be not brought into direct contact with themagnet housing the spring 94 is light enough and the magnet in thehousing strong enough so that the housing as a unit will be brought intocontact with the can top by magnetic attraction. The normal elevatedposition of the magnet housing insures that the housing will notinterfere with inserting a can into the opener. The mounting of thehousing on the bracket 82 is loose enough to permit angular changes ofthe housing with respect to the bracket so that the magnetic poles lieflat against the can top regardless of variations in the can top angleduring opening.

Thereafter, continued rotation of the handle moves the driving wheel tothe forward end of slot 64 and the thrust on the driving wheel resultingfrom the continued rotation of the handle serves to maintain the drivingwheel at that end and the disk cutter 54 in continuous cutting relationwith the can until the can top is completely severed. When 'the can topis totally severed, the direction of rotation of the handle is reversed.This applies a reverse traction on the driving wheel and, the can beingheld within the opener with substantial frictional force, it is thedriving wheel which will move first to the rear and then, when the notchin the kidney-shaped cam lies opposite the stud 66, the driving Wheelwill drop to the lower rearward end of the slot 64, releasing the can.The can may be moved and the top will adhere to the magnet.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that I have adapted inhighly ingenious fashion a popular portable can opener to wall mountedusage. I have provided a novel and ingenious magnetic can top holder tobe employed in conjunction with the opener, and the opener containsnovel and successful provision for wall storage on the wall bracket whennot in use.

I claim:

1. A magnetic can-top holder for a can opener comprising a housinghaving a permanent magnet enclosed therein with the poles thereofexposed on the underside of said housing, said housing having twowindows in one side thereof, a vertical shaft inside said housing, amounting bracket for said housing including a length of stiff wireentering said housing through one of said windows, encircling said shaftand merging from said housing from the other of said windows, the endsof said wire being adapted for attachment to said can opener, a washeron said shaft above said bracket and a light compression spring on saidshaft interposed between said washer and the top of said housing.

2. In combination with a wall type can opener, a magnetic can-top holdercomprising a housing having a window through a side thereof, a permanentmagnet enclosed in said housing and having its poles exposed on theunderside thereof, an upright rod fixed substantially centrally in saidhousing, a mounting member encircling said rod in said housing andextending outside thereof through said window, said mounting memberhaving a portion outside of said housing attachable to an arm forpositioning said magnet in cooperative relationship with an openingmeans relative to a can to be opened thereby, and resilient means onsaid rod yieldably supporting said housing and magnet with the latterspaced above the top of a can in cooperative relationship with saidopening means and yieldable under the force of said magnet to move intomagnetic engagement with the top of said can.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Nelson May 10, 1949 6 Acker Jan. 6 1953Nelson Aug. 11, 1953 Moore Feb. 28, 1956 Moore Mar. 27, 1956 Rhodes Nov.27, 1956

